Get Out and play in Eagle Saturday, Sunday

Daily file photo/Kristin Anderson/kanderson@vaildaily.com
Owner of Street Swell, John Cummins, rides his daisy cutter longboard while using a land paddle during last year's Get Out Expo in Eagle Ranch.

Related Media

The sun is shining and it's time to get out and play this weekend at the fourth annual Eagle Get Out Expo, taking place Saturday and Sunday.

The two-day outdoor activities and sports event and expo will include a community bike ride to benefit the Shaw Regional Cancer Center and the second annual ChroMoly Chef competition. The inaugural Longboard Push Race and BMX track event will be part of the festivities this year, as well as an outdoor expo, beer garden, bands and more.

"Eagle is the Vail Valley's summer playground," said Gabrie Higbie of presenting sponsor KZYR. "The Get Out Expo celebrates this and everything this community offers to outdoor recreation. Our community is excited to gather together to host this event that draws people from three counties and the Front Range."

The community mountain and road bike ride to benefit the Shaw Regional Cancer Center will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. Registration can be done online through the Vail Recreation District's website at www.vailrec.com. The event features self-guided beginner, intermediate and advanced courses for both mountain and road biking. See the story on page B3 to learn more.

Eagle Get Out Expo ChroMoly Chef competition is a bike-building version of a culinary Iron Chef contest.

Sponsored by Street Swell, the ChroMoly Chef event challenges hard-core bike makers, experts and riders to build a working bicycle from scratch. Four teams of two will have one hour to build a bike from a selection of bike parts which will be provided but not revealed until two minutes before the clock starts. Once the clock starts builders can run to the part "pantry" and select the parts for the build. At the end of the time limit, a team representative will need to ride the bike 50 yards around a pylon and return to the start finish line. At that point the teams will be judged by a panel of three impartial judges on creativity, function and placing in the 50-yard dash.

The ChroMoly Chef competition is by invitation only but spectators are welcome to watch the event from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Potential participants can call (970) 376-4825 for more information. "I love the Food Channel - one night after watching an Iron Chef marathon I dreamed of a cooking competition only with bike parts instead of food. The next day, the ChroMoly Chef event was born. One of the best dreams I have ever had," said John Cummins of Street Swell, organizer of this competition.

This year's expo will be held in downtown Eagle Ranch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Participants will race on longboards around the town of Eagle. Entrants may register at info@streetswell.com, or call (877) 216-9091. The cost is $10 per person for the 10K race, the 1K fun skate is free of charge.

Longboarding is a sport similar to skateboarding. It uses a longer board, bigger wheels and sometimes bigger trucks to let the rider "surf" on concrete. Helmets are required, and participants will be required to follow all traffic laws and be kind to pedestrians.

The Eagle County Fire Department, in conjunction with the Vail Valley Medical Center's Gypsum branch, will provide helmet testing and impact testing for cyclists and skateboarders alike at the fourth Eagle Get Out Expo.

Restaurants throughout the town of Eagle will participate in the event during the expo hours. Restaurants to be highlighted include the Dusty Boot, homemade Italian family restaurant Luigi's Pastahouse, Old Kentucky Tavern, the Bowl Mor Cafe, and HP's Provisions.

Mountain Beverage, a privately owned beer distributor located in Gypsum, will sponsor this year's beer garden, a new addition to the Eagle Get Out Expo.

The beer garden will open at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Food in the beer garden will be provided by the Dusty Boot. Patrons can enjoy $5 cups of beer as well as wine and cocktails for purchase (must be 21 or older). A portion of the proceeds from the beer garden will also benefit the Shaw Regional Cancer Center.